Why The Christian God

If you are following along, we have established that there is, in fact, a God. Right now, all we have declared is that God is an intelligent Spirit. But there are so many religions and so many so-called gods. How do you know which religion is the right one? How do we know who God is?

My intention is to show you that the God found in the Bible is the one true God. There’s so much evidence for this that it’s hard to know where to start. But there is one thing that truly separates the God of the Bible from all others. I think Paul said it best:

The resurrection of Jesus is one of the strongest proofs of the authenticity of the God of the Bible. If Jesus has not risen from the dead, then the Bible is not true. But if Jesus is risen from the dead, then truly the God He spoke of, the one in the Bible, is God alone.

There is a reason the two largest religions in the world use the Bible as their guide. Christianity and Islam are the largest religions in the world. After them come Atheism and then the Indian religions such as Hinduism.

Of all the religions in the world, only the ones based on the Bible have actual proof of their authenticity. Greek mythology gods such as Zeus have no evidence of their actual existence. The gods of the Indian religions are the same. But the Bible has actual proof.

Historical Evidence

Among these proofs are historical evidences. For example, the Pilate Stone, a stone inscription dedicated to Pontius Pilate, provides evidence of the man who sentenced Jesus to death. This helps to verify that the people involved were real.

A Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, mentions Jesus in his works, *Antiquities of the Jews*. In one passage, he refers to Jesus as a wise teacher crucified by Pontius Pilate. This historian lived in the first century AD.

Tacitus, a Roman historian, refers to Christ, who was executed by Pontius Pilate during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Again, this is secular proof of the Bible telling the truth.

Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor, wrote to Emperor Trajan about Christians, saying the movement centered on Jesus was spreading in the Roman Empire.

Early manuscripts such as the Didache and the writings of leaders like Ignatius of Antioch provide historical evidence as well. There are far too many things to share that point to the reality of Jesus. In fact, almost no historian would argue against His existence, ministry, or crucifixion.

Proof of the Resurrection

As for proof of the resurrection, we can also look at some of these same proofs from within and outside the Bible to verify it. The widespread acknowledgment of early Christian belief in the resurrection by Jewish, Roman, and other non-Christian sources demonstrates that this belief was significant, known, and influential at the time. Many of these writings date to the first century AD as well.

The resurrection would have been very easy to disprove if the Romans had wanted to put down this movement. The religious leaders would also have been able to do so easily. All they had to do was produce the body. But of course, their story is that the body was stolen.

When Pilate gave them a “guard” for the tomb, it wasn’t one or two men. The term actually means he gave them a squad. Just as today, we aren’t talking about one man when we talk about the Queen’s Guard.

Pilate also told them to make the tomb as secure as they could. So why would they think one or two men were enough when there were so many disciples of Jesus? No, this was a squadron of soldiers—a squadron that, in the Roman army, would all be put to death if they fell asleep on the job.

So this story of the body being stolen is incredibly unlikely. In fact, it would not have been possible. Not only were there a large number of soldiers, but there was also a huge stone sealing the tomb. I’m sure that would make a noise! It would have to have been the most stealthy theft of all time. And, for no real reason.

The Bible As Proof

While many people like to claim you can’t use the Bible to prove the Bible, it should also be noted that the Bible isn’t a single book. It’s a collection of 66 books written throughout history by many people, from kings to shepherds.

Just as any other historical book can be confirmed by other writings, the books of the Bible can be too. So yes, the Bible can help prove itself because it’s a collection, not just one source.

In the collection of books within the Bible are several eyewitness accounts of the actions of God. There are many accounts from witnesses of Jesus after the resurrection. Remember, these are DIFFERENT historical testimonies, not just one.

These are just a FEW examples of the historical proof we have that the Bible was telling the truth. There is absolutely no reason to believe the events in the Bible were made up other than personal bias. Locations, events, and even geological proof of the Bible are everywhere.

Misinformation About The Bible

With that said, there are a lot of people spreading misinformation about it as well. Many will say it is full of contradictions. But anyone who studies these can easily refute these accusations.

There are those who claim it doesn’t agree with science. But again, anyone who has looked into it knows that it was far ahead of its time in knowledge. Some still argue that it is a huge conspiracy. But a simple dose of logic dispels that notion.

There are those who will argue against it based on the idea that translations and copies distort the original message. But these scriptures have been seen as the word of God. Anyone altering them would immediately face the wrath of others. And, it was not kept from the public, so anyone could verify the accuracy.

We will talk about the Bible’s history in a future study. But the bottom line I want to get across is that while there are so many misunderstandings and outright lies about the Bible, it has remained guiltless of all accusations.

All of these things can prove intellectually that the Bible tells the truth. The fact that it has been so loved and so hated throughout history also lends to its credibility. No other book has been as scrutinized and even lied about. Yet it has never truly been proven wrong.

But again, these are only a few examples of proof. There is another kind of proof I will provide in the next study. But it should already be clear what makes the God of the Bible different. It should be clear who the true God is.

Unit 1:2a – Which Religion Has More Proof OR

Return To Christianity 101 Unit 1 – The Bible and Faith in God

July 11, 2015 at 11:55 pm | | No comment

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